Device for locking screen doors and the like



Dec. 23, 1930. J. E. TAYLOR 1,785,882

DEVICE FOR LOOKING SCREEN DOORS AND THELIKE Filed Oct. 22, 1928 PatentedDec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES O FIC JAMES E. TAYLOR, or oLEvELAnD, oHroDEVICE non LOCKING soannnnoons AND THE LIKE Application filed October22, 1928. Serial 1T0: 314,016.

.This invention relates to locking devices, particularly those which arecommonly used for locking screendoors, window screens and the like. Oneform of device heretofore used for this purpose has embodied a singlehook member, which is usually fastened upon the screen or door and isadapted to engage an ye member upon the door or window jamb.

It is an easy matter for locks of this nature to be opened byunauthorized persons merely by the insertion of a tool through thescreen and by raising the hook member out of conhook out of engagementwith the cooperating 3 A further object of my invention is to make alocking device which is simple in construction and which may be readilymade and easily operated when in use.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a screen ordoor which is locked by the device embodying invention; Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the looking device removed from the screen, andshowing the locked position thereof; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thelock showing the keeper in two different positions; Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the lock in closed position; and Fig. 5 is a top'plan viewof the lock.

The preferred form of my invention comprises a hook member 10 and akeeper-11., which is slidable along the hook and which cooperates withan arm 12 to lock the hook in lace. The hook and arm as shown are madeof a single piece of wire, which is bent to form a loop 13 through whicha fastening member 1.4 may extend forsecuring the hook to a 50 screen ordoor 15. The elasticity of the wire permits thearm to be moved slightlywithreferenceto the hook whenever desired. Such movement :is sufficientfor-enabling the hook to be passed through aneye 16 in thedoor orwindowjamb as is "shown in Fig. 1. 8 I The open position -of the keeperis illustrated by the full lines ofFig. 3 wherethe hook and arm areillustrated as being moved apart a suflicient distance to clear thelocking eye. After the hook is placed over the eye, the

.keeper is moved forwardly to a position shown at 11c bythe brokenlines-in Fig. 3.

The keeper, as illustrated, is made from a single piece of :wire bent tothe shape of a figure -8. The hookmember has a notch 20 into which thetop loop 'of the-keeper may'extend. andthe arm 12 is also shown ashaving a notch 21011 the underside thereof intowhich the bottom loopofthe keeper may extend. The notch 21 is {in a re-entrant portion 22,which is formed'bybendingthe arm first outwardly, as at23,theninwardly'as at 24, and

then outwardly again as at 19. Thearm thus has a substantial hump orshoulder over which it must pass before it can be withdrawn to theopenposition. Moreover such hump prevents the look from being opened merelyby forcingthe keeper backwardly along the hook. Notches 30 and31 alsofunction to assist in holding the keeper in position. To openthe lock,it is'necessary to press the arm andkeeper slightlyitogether, until thebottom part of the keeper falls out of the re entrant portion22. .Bymaking the notch21 nearer to the end-of the hook than the notch 20, thekeeper occupies a position, when locked, extending obliquely to thedirection of the hook. Thus, the action of gravity assists in makingthe'keeper clear thehump, whenever the arm is pressed toward the hookwhile the door is locked. In locked position, the looped portion 25at'the end of the arm is sufiiciently close to the end 26 of the hook,that the lock cannot be opened when shifting the keeper to the openposition.

I claim:

1. A locking device comprising a strip of wire bent to provide two arms,a keeper slidable along the arms, each of said arms having a notchtherein adapted to be engaged by the keeper when the keeper is inlocking position, said notches being oifset with relation to each other,whereby the keeper extends diagonally to the arms when in lockedposition.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a singlestrip of wire bent intermediately to form a loop, and having two armsextending from the loop in the m same general direction, the end of oneof the arms being shaped to form a hook, and the end of the other ofsaid arms being shaped to form an eye, into which the end of the hookextends, a member movable along said arms and being adapted to occupyone position when said arms are closed, and to occupy another positionwhen said arms are opened, and means associated with said arms andacting upon the member for holding the arms in closed position, saidmeans permitting movement of the keeper to open position when the armsare pressed together a predetermined distance.

3. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, astrip of wire bent intermediately to form a loop with two arms.extending from the loop and in the same general direction, one of thearms having the end thereof shaped to form a hook and the other of saidarms having the end thereof shaped to form an eye to receive said hookportion when the arms are moved toward each other, said last mentionedarm having that portion thereof near the eye curved in two directions 5to make a re-entrant portion, a keeper slidable along the arms and beingformed of a single strip of wire looped to en age each arm, one of theloops of the keeper being adapted to engage one arm behind the hook andto engage the other arm within the re-entrant porion for holding thearms in locked position.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a strip of wire bentto provide a pair of arms movable with relation to each other, one armhaving a recess facing outwardly, the other arm having an outward bendproviding a pair of shoulders spaced apart, and a keeper slidable alongthe arms and adapted to occupy said recess and swing about it as acenter into engagement with either of the shoulders of the other arm.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

JAMES E. TAYLOR.

